Matthew Perry's heartbreaking admission about 'being alone at 53' after breakup

The world has been rocked by the shock death of actor and Friends star Matthew Perry, 54, after an apparent drowning in his hot tub at his LA home.

It was only late last year that Matthew published his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, an open and honest account of his rise to fame and his spiral into addiction.

Matthew revealed that over the years he had attended 6,000 AA meetings, gone to rehab 15 times, and been in detox 65 times. He had 14 surgeries, with his last one in 2022 leaving him with a six-inch incision with metal staples.

'The one who got away'

While Matthew never married or had kids, he opened up in his memoir about some of his relationships, most notably an actress he dated for six years whom he labelled as 'the one who got away'.

Although he did not specifically name the actress in his memoir, it's believed he was referencing his relationship with Mean Girls star Lizzy Caplan, whom he dated from 2006-2012.

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The two kept their relationship very private, but Matthew detailed being 'haunted' by their breakup after he chickened out of proposing.

“I often think if I’d asked her (to marry), now we’d have two kids and a house. Instead, I’m just some schmuck who’s alone in his house at 53," he said.

He also detailed his heartbreak at finding out Lizzy was getting married to someone else years later.

Matthew was performing in London in a play, and had 'begged' Lizzy, who was living in London part-time with her British partner, to come along to see him.

He said he told Lizzy he was hurt she couldn't make it, and then later received an email from her saying she 'was getting married and had no room in her life for friends'.

“It was an incredibly harsh way to reveal the news that she was getting married and not something that I would ever do to a person, but there you have it," he wrote.

“I’m glad she got married and that she’s happy. I want nothing but the best for her, forever.”

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